Saudade no meu coração

A year or two ago, I wanted to learn Portuguese so I could go to Lisbon and listen to fadistas sing in dimly lit fado houses. (And to understand what they sing, of course.) Someday, maybe. For now, I'll satisfy my melancholic-music craving with my fado playlist.

I once wrote about fado, about Dulce Pontes, the only fado singer I knew at the time. Since then I've discovered Ana Moura and Mariza, and listened to a number of wonderful songs. But there are three I love best - "O Que Foi Que Aconteceu," "Garca Perdida," and "Chuva." All three songs strongly evoke saudade, a powerful emotion that can't easily be expressed in English. At best, the descriptions on the Internet suggest a form of tragic nostalgia, a deep yearning for something that's lost, something irretrievable.

I didn't think I could appreciate these songs more than I already did (short of mastering Portuguese or hearing them live), but I was wrong. I'd forgotten about Youtube. Over the weekend, an Amazon music critic wrote about fado and put up a video of Mariza singing "Chuva." I hit 'play', and was floored. I couldn't take my eyes off her. It seemed as if she had lived through and perfectly understood all the emotions pulsing within the song, and every expression on her face moved in tangent with each line, each word.

Chuva (live), by Mariza

Garca Perdida, by Dulce Pontes
I don't believe Dulce Pontes ever sang "Garca Perdida" live, but here's another singer, Maria Fernandes, who performs it wonderfully.

O Que Foi Que Aconteceu, by Ana Moura

Lyrics after the jump.

"Chuva" - Rain

Things which are distasteful in life
Leave us with no longing
Only the memories which hurt
Or make us smile

There are people who make history
In the history of people
And others we can't even
Remember their names

They are emotions that give life
To the longing I carry
Those which I had with you
And ended up losing

There are days that mark the soul
And life of people
And the day you left me
I cannot forget

The rain drenched my face
Cold and tired
The streets of the city
Each one I have wandered
Oh, my lost child lament
Cried out to the city
That love's fire under the rain
Had died instants ago

The rain heard and kept
My secret from the city
And listen to how it beats on the glass
Bringing that nostalgia back

===================================================================

"O Que Foi Que Aconteceu" - What Happened

It happened
I was not waiting for you
You were not looking for me
Nor did you know who I was
I was there
Just because I had to be
And you came
Because you had to come
I looked at you
the whole world stopped
That moment my life changed

Everything was to be eternal
And you forever mine
Where did we get lost
What happened?

It happened
Call it good luck or misfortune
I was not waiting for you
But you came by again
I have never felt my heart beating

As I did
When I felt your hand
In your mouth
Time went backwards
Went crazy with this lunacy
This lunacy as peace

Everything was to be eternal
And you forever mine
Where did we get lost
What happened?

Posted by Monoceros at April 27, 2009 9:40 AM